Three Alabama players drafted consecutively in first round

TUSCALOOSA | The University of Alabama made NFL Draft history Thursday night as the only school to ever produce three consecutive first-round draft choices.

By Chase GoodbreadSports Writer

TUSCALOOSA | The University of Alabama made NFL Draft history Thursday night as the only school to ever produce three consecutive first-round draft choices.

Cornerback Dee Milliner was drafted No. -9 overall by the New York Jets, continuing a streak of top-10 picks from Alabama for the fifth consecutive year. The Tennessee Titans followed immediately by drafting offensive guard Chance Warmack, and the San Diego Chargers drafted offensive tackle D.J. Fluker No. 11 overall.

Milliner, of Stanhope Elmore, left Alabama a year early as a junior and will now take his highly-rated man coverage skills to one of the NFL’s biggest markets in New York.

“Very much, I know I can. I’ll just come in there and do what I do best and play football and work hard,” Milliner told NFL.com of his future with the Jets, “compete and just learn the things I need to learn. You know you’re going to get things caught on you, that’s going to happen. You’ve got to be short-memory and just go out and make the next play.”

Milliner broke up 20 passes last year as a junior at Alabama, and intercepted two more, to go with 54 tackles.Said NFL Network analyst Michael Irvin: “This kid is willing to be aggressive, and I think that’s big in the New York Jets, (coach) Rex Ryan scheme.”

As the No. 10 choice, Warmack marked the third consecutive season that UA had two players drafted among the top 10.Offensive guards are rarely chosen in the top half of the first round, because guard play is not as highly valued as top talent at other positions in the NFL.

But Warmack and University of North Carolina guard Johnathan Cooper were exceptions to that on Thursday night.

Cooper was chosen No.7 overall by the Arizona Cardinals. ESPN NFL analyst Mark Schlereth, a 12-year NFL guard, said his former NFL offensive line coach Alex Gibbs told him he could get “bums off the highway” to play guard. Still, Schlereth praised Warmack’s ability to run block.

“I don’t think he’s the athlete that Cooper is, but I still look at him as a big road grader type guy who (also) does a good job in pass protection,” Schlereth said.

Titans general manager Ruston Webster said Warmack was the Titans’ top-rated guard.

“Very happy to have him as a new Titan,” Webster told the team’s web site. “His physical style of play, his power ... the right guard position, that’s what it calls for, and he fits that mold.”

Webster indicated he wasn’t concerned about the guard position being one that didn’t generally merit an early first-round choice.

“I think one thing is, the strength of this draft, especially in this first round, was the offensive line,” Webster added. “It wasn’t quarterback. It wasn’t receiver, or running back. It was the offensive line. When you’re picking in the top ten, you want to pick the best player you can get.”

Fluker was expected to be drafted in the late first round, but when three of the draft’s first four picks were offensive tackles (Eric Fisher, Luke Joeckel, Lane Johnson), Fluker quickly saw his draft position rise as the best prospect available at his position remaining after Johnson was chosen.

“He can help us in a lot of ways,” Chargers general manager Tom Telesco told the team’s official web site. “Number one, he’s a powerful run blocker, so he’s going to help us out a lot in the run game. He’s also a very good athlete for a big man. He’s got very good feet. He can bend his knees. He’s got body control. He’s got balance. He can get out in space and as a right tackle, he’s going to be a very good pass protector for us with his arm length, size and again his feet for his size.”

Andre Smith began Alabama’s streak of top 10 picks as the Cincinnati Bengals’ first choice in 2009. Rolando MccClain (2010), Marcel Dareus (2011), Julio Jones (2011), Trent Richardson (2012) and Mark Barron (2012) have been chosen in the top 10 as well.

Milliner, Warmack and Fluker became the 12th, 13th and 14th first-round draft choices in the tenure of UA coach Nick Saban.

The second and third rounds of the draft will be held Friday evening. UA running back Eddie Lacy, who was projected by many draft analysts to be a first-rounder, was not selected Thursday. Lacy was one of four UA players who made the trip to New York City to attend the draft in person, along with Milliner, Warmack and Fluker. Lacy and Crimson Tide linemen Jesse Williams and Barrett Jones are likely to be the next Alabama players chosen in the draft. Lacy and Williams were projected by experts as late first- or early second-round picks, while Jones is more likely to be drafted in the third round.

The Jacksonville Jaguars hold the first pick of the second round, followed by the San Francisco 49ers, the Philadelphia Eagles and the Detroit Lions.

Reach Chase Goodbread at chase@tidesports.com or at 205-722-0196.

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